Army of CrimeAn indepth portrait of the French Resistance and its heroes.

PlotAs the German's occupy France's capital an Army of Resistance begins to grow.

Review

If your only experience of the French Resistance involves fallen Madonnas with zee big boobies, here’s a solid introduction to a truly heroic chapter of World War II. Operating on the backstreets of Paris, the “army of crime” (so-called by the occupying Germans) comprises a cadre of foreign-born resistance fighters who kill, and risk death, in the name of liberté. Beautifully acted, Robert Guédiguian’s angry drama depicting ordinary men and women doing extraordinary, often brutal, things has echoes of Melville’s Army Of Shadows in more than name.

What it lacks is that film’s ratcheting tension and the complex characterisation to turn a gripping true-life tale into equally searing cinema.

VerdictCompelling performances and beautifully told heroics but the pacing is flawed in terms of a thrilling cinematic experience.